Motor Vehicle Occupant Protection
F A C T S

Facts About Young Adults Ages 16 to 20

In 2002, young people ages 16 to 20 years old made up approximately
6.4 percent (12.5 million) of the 194.3 million licensed drivers
in the United States. The estimated economic cost of police-reported
crashes involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 was $40.8
billion in 2002.9 This cost represents
approximately 18 percent of the $230 billion a year that police-reported
traffic crashes cost our society. In short, young people represent
less than 7 percent of the drivers but are responsible for 18 percent
of the costs of traffic crashes.

In addition to the disproportionate “harm” that 16-
to 20-year-old drivers experience from motor vehicle crashes, consider
the following additional “costs” for young drivers and
passengers:

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for
young adults ages 16 to 20.

Young adults between the ages of 16 and 20 are more likely
to be killed and injured in motor vehicle crashes than children
and youth from birth to age 15. In 2002, of the 7,410 children,
youth, and young adults from birth through age 20 who were killed
in motor vehicle crashes, 76 percent were 16 to 20 years old;
of the 729,207 injured from birth to age 20, 65 percent were
16- to 20-year-olds. See Chart 8.

Although young drivers made up approximately 7 percent
of the total licensed driving population, in 2002, 15 percent (3,448)
of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes were young drivers
15 to 20 years old, and 16 percent (310,000) of all the drivers
injured in police-reported crashes were young drivers.

During 2002, a young person died in a traffic crash an average
of once every hour on weekends (weekends are defined as 6 p.m. on
Friday through 5:59 a.m. on Monday) and nearly once every 2 hours
during the week.

Young adults who are 16 to 20 years old are most likely
to be killed or injured when riding in passenger vehicles (as opposed
to other motor vehicles).

In 2002, a total of 1,915 16- to 20-year-olds were killed
when totally or partially ejected from a passenger vehicle.

In 2002, the fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes for 16-
to 20-year-olds was approximately twice the rate for all ages.
See Chart 9.

Chart 8 Percentage of All Occupants
From Birth to Age 20 Killed or Injured in 2002By Age, In Passenger Vehicles

Facts About Motor-Vehicle-Related Deaths and
Injuries

In 2002, 16- to 20-year-old drivers had the highest fatality
and injury rates per 100,000 licensed drivers. In fact, the fatality
rate for young drivers was about three times the rate for drivers
25 to 64 years old.

In 2002, an estimated 56,053 young adults experienced incapacitating
injuries. This number represents approximately 18 percent of all
(302,957) incapacitating injuries.

In 2002, an estimated 149,645 young adults experienced nonincapacitating
injuries. This number represents approximately 21 percent of all
(716,246) people with nonincapacitating injuries.

Despite a small improvement in safety belt use for 16- to 20-year-old
drivers, the percentage of fatalities in which the driver was
not wearing a safety belt has remained more than 60 percent
for the past 10 years. See Chart 10.

Drivers ages 16 to 20 have the highest involvement rates for
fatalities and injuries in passenger vehicle crashes. This is
especially true for male drivers in this age group. See
Charts 11 and 12.10

Chart 10 Percentage of Driver
Fatalities Among 16- to 20-Year-Olds, In Which Driver Was Unrestrained, 1993-2002In Passenger Vehicles

Self-Reported Behavior, Attitudes, and Opinions
on Safety Belt Use

The following information was reported in NHTSA’s 2003
Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. This telephone survey
was administered to a randomly selected national sample of 6,000
persons ages 16 and older (with younger ages over sampled).

Safety Belt Use Behavior

Most (79 percent) 16- to 20-year-olds reported that they
wear their safety belts all of the time. An estimated 11 percent
reported that they wear their safety belts most of the time.

Most (87 percent) 16- to 19-year-olds reported that when
they were not driving, they rode in the front seat of the vehicle.
However, only 49 percent said that they always wore their safety
belt when riding as a passenger in the back seat, while 14 percent
said they never wore their safety belts when riding in the back
seat.

One-fourth (25 percent) of 16- to 20-year-olds reported
that their use of safety belts when driving had increased in the
past 12 months. (An estimated 2 percent indicated a decrease, while
73 percent indicated that use had stayed the same.)

Attitudes Toward Safety Belt Use

Among persons 16 to 24 years of age, 69 percent either strongly
(51 percent) or somewhat (18 percent) agreed with the statement,
“I have a habit of wearing a seat belt because my parents
insisted I wear them when I was a child.”

The number dropped to 44 percent among persons ages 25 to 34 and
to 26 percent among persons ages 35 to 44, reflecting the lower
usage rates during their childhood years.

The vast majority of the public ages 16 and older either
strongly agreed (88 percent) or somewhat agreed (7 percent) with
the statement, “If I were in an accident, I would want to
have my seat belt on.” However, about one-half (47 percent)
of 16- to 24-year-olds agreed with the statement, “Seat belts
are as likely to harm as to help.”

About one in five persons (19 percent) either strongly (13
percent) or somewhat (6 percent) agreed with the statement, “I
would feel self-conscious around my friends if I wore a seat belt
and they did not.” However, more than one in four (27 percent)
of 16- to 24-year-olds strongly or somewhat agreed with this statement.

Injury avoidance was the most frequent reason given for
wearing a safety belt.

The most common reasons given by drivers from the 16- to
20-year-old age group for not wearing safety belts were that they
forgot or were driving a short distance.

Thirty percent of 16- to 24-year-olds agreed with the statement
that a crash close to home was usually not as serious, and 27 percent
agreed that putting on a safety belt makes them worry more about
being in a crash.

Opinions About Safety Belt Use Laws

When asked whether they favor front safety belt laws, 66
percent of 16- to 20-year-olds said they favor them “a lot”
and 26 percent said they favor them “some.”

Many (64 percent) 16- to 20-year-olds answered “yes”
when asked whether police should be allowed to stop a vehicle if
they observe a safety belt violation when no other traffic laws
are being broken.

Many (65 percent) 16- to 20-year-olds favored fines for
drivers who do not wear safety belts.

Almost half (42 percent) of 16- to 20-year-olds favored
points against a license as a penalty for safety belt violations.

9When available, data on 15-year-olds
are included in this section because in some States 15-year-olds
are licensed to drive. However, 15-year-olds constitute only 0.2 percent of licensed drivers.

10Rates shown in Chart 10 are obtained by dividing the number of involved drivers by the number of licensed drivers.